Andrew McAttee has roots in graffiti. He did make it to art school, though, and attended Central St. Martins in London, where he focused solely on the “fine arts.” He makes it clear that he never tried to merge the two:
“I didn’t take my graffiti painting into art school,” says the 35-year-old. “I separated the two and just did graffiti in the holidays. “I never use my street tag in my canvases, but I think describing me as a sellout for working on canvas is a weak argument. They’re completely different things. It’s frustrating that people try to pigeonhole me as a street artist or graffiti writer. It’s all very tenuous.” — from BBC interview
After school, McCattee stuck to painting on canvas for five years, before getting back to the streets, where he’s currently the eye of a storm.
“It was a kind of breakdown,” he says. “From making grey canvases I went to spray-painting large pieces that were colour assaults. It was a release of frustration.” — from the same BBC interview
